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Explore a Very Old and Historic City with a Bus Rental in Reading

Board a bus rental in Reading and see what is in store for you in Pretzel City.

Reading in Pennsylvania is the state's fifth most populous city, with around 88,000 residents. It is also a very old and very historic city, and because of its very strategic location, Reading was once the home of one of the country's largest railway systems and was once very profitable.

However, the city's economy has greatly declined in recent years, that is why efforts have been made to revitalize it, especially its dwindling down-town area. Revitalization projects like the Goggle Works Center for the Arts, the Sovereign Center, and the Reading Movies 11, now contribute to the city's thriving industrial life.

However, what most tourists do not know is that Reading is known as the Pretzel City. You want to know why? Then hop on a bus rental in Reading and find out for yourself!

Get a 24-passenger bus rental in Reading, Pennsylvania if you are touring the city with a small group.

Touring a new place with loved ones or with friends is a lot more fun and unforgettable. And if you are a small group, a 24-passenger bus rental in Reading, Pennsylvania is just the perfect way to get around the city. You can get to various attractions and points of interest without having to worry about anything.

When it comes to culture and the arts, Reading puts its best foot forward with the recently established Goggle Works Center for the Arts. This big arts center was originally a goggle-making factory during WWII, thus its name. It holds art exhibits and a wide variety of art classes and art studios.

You can also head over to the Reading Public Museum, which not only boasts displays on science and civilizations, but also has a permanent collection of artworks from around the world. The museum's fine art collection includes hundreds of paintings by noted artists like Edgar Degas, Benjamin West, N.C. Wyeth and Raphaelle Peale.

Music is also a big part of Reading, being the birthplace of Marching Band composer John Philip Sousa; guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen and George Baer Hiester; and 14-time drum and bugle corps world champion, the Reading Buccaneers. The Reading Symphony Orchestra is also one of the city's most notable cultural institutions.

To catch various shows and musical and theatrical performances, you have the Sovereign Performing Arts Center and the Genesius Theatre.

Reading also hosts a wide variety of festivals that are worth experiencing. For instance, you have the Oktoberfest, which is a culture, clothing, food, crafts and dance festival held every October near the historic Stokesay Castle. Other festivals include:

Berks Jazz Fest, which is a music festival held every March

Apple Dumpling Festival and Pageant, which is held every summer

Shocktber Fest, which is a festival that offers haunted attractions during Halloween season

Cherry Blossom Festival

Oley Valley Community Fair, which is a country fair where you can get local products

Kutztown Folk Festival, which celebrates the culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch

You can go to the VF Outlet Complex for some retail therapy. You can find many discount stores here that hundreds of visitors from out of town hit. You can also head over to Downtown Reading, which has small stores that appeal to the more urban shopper. There is also Penn Avenue, where you can find local boutique stores and even cafe-style restaurants.

You may also want to tru Berkshire Mall and Fairgrounds Square Mall. Other malls include:

Exeter Commons

Shoppes at Wyomissing

Broadcasting Square

Reading has been known as "The Pretzel City" because of the numerous local pretzel bakeries in the city. You currently have Dieffenbach, Bachman, and Unique Pretzel serving you.

But, of course, you cannot live on pretzel alone, so you must try Jimmy Kramer's Peanut Bar, which has been around for almost a century and is known for allowing patrons to throw their peanut shells on the floor. There is Mezcal's Mexican Restaurant, where you can have mouth-watering Mexican dishes at reasonable prices, and the newly renovated Stokesay Castle, where you can have the city's finest gourmet offering. If you ant Mediterranean fare, head over to Aladdin.

Other dining places you can go to to fill your tummy include:

The Captains Cove

Judy's on Cherry

Hong Than

Alebreje

Panda Heaven

Aashiana Indian Restaurant

Ugly Oyster

Applebee's

Off the Venue

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Ruby Tuesday

Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant

Delicioso Restaurant

China Fun Restaurant

Schell's Fast Food Restaurant & Miniature Golf

Suburban Tavern and Restaurant

So get on a bus rental in Reading and a grab a bite before you resume your sightseeing!

If you want a taste of history, then a visit to the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum should be in order. This museum and restoration facility has an active display of historic and rare civilian airliners and war aircraft.

The city is also home to some early 20th century movie and theater palaces. Sadly, these grand structures that served as great examples of the architecture of that time, such as The Astor, Embassy, and Loew's Colonial, are no longer around. Only the Rajah Shrine Theater remains. And standing in place of The Astor is The Sovereign Center, but certain parts of the building, such as The Astor's ornate Art Deco gates and chandeliers are in tact.

Make time to visit The Pagoda, which is a Japanese-style pagoda built in 1908 on Mount Penn. Originally, the Pagoda was built as a luxury hotel, but its application for alcohol license was denied. Now, it functions as a cafe and gift shop, and it houses a variety of artworks, too. Another attraction you can spot on Mount Penn is the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower.

You may also want to go to the Central Pennsylvania African-American Museum, which is in the old AME Church and which is where you can see an actual hide-out tunnel that was used for escaping slaves before the Civil War era.

Reading and its surrounding areas within Berks County boasts of having a beautiful park system. There are parks and playgrounds that are just the perfect places to go for the whole family as they allow and offer a very wide variety of outdoor activities. You can head over to:

Gring's Mill Recreation Area

Union Canal Walking & Bicycle Trail

Kaercher Creek Park

Berks County Heritage Center

Antietam Lake

11th and Pike Playground

With a bus rental in Reading, it is possible to visit all these parks!

Call BusRental.com at 1 866-569-2012 to get a free online quote and book a bus rental in Reading for your trip. We have customer service representatives to assist you and give you information about our fleet.